Who Did It?  Devotional #3

            The kids and I were at my parent’s house the other day and I was helping out with the dishes.  I thought I was done when I surveyed the breakfast table and it was empty.  The dining room table had no dishes either.  There was nothing left on the counters and everything was wiped clean.  I was so hungry and couldn’t wait to sit and finally eat my lunch which was why I went to the refrigerator.  I opened the refrigerator door wondering what I would like to eat.  I was so hungry!  I knew the kids had eaten as well as my mom so I just had to prepare something for me. 

            Instead of being able to just grab what I wanted to eat, which would have been so much easier, there was an unpleasant surprise waiting for me.  What was in front of me, greeting me, no, taunting me, was a cup that still had strawberry banana smoothie spilling out of it!  The smoothie had spilled under things like the vegetable drawer and was starting to get sticky!  Ugh!  Did I mention how hungry I was?  I unapologetically yelled out to my kids, who were happily playing their x-box in the other room, “who didn’t finish their smoothie?!”  You see, I was hoping that by wording the question a little bit differently than the typical, “who did it?” type of question I would get an honest answer this time instead of the typical, “not me,” answer.  Which would then be followed up by me with the typical “then who did it?” question which would be followed up by them with the typical “I don’t know,” answer. 
            My three kids walked into the kitchen to see what mess I was talking about (because of course they need proof of why they got caught).  They answered me with their version of the truth which was, “it wasn’t me.”  I looked at the three of them and said, you guessed it, “then who did it?”  And, yes you know the answer they gave, “I don’t know.”
            A few days later, when the topic came up again, they gave me the true answer.  The youngest had asked the oldest to please put his smoothie away because he didn’t want anymore.  The oldest asked the middle child to put it away.  She did as was asked.  So the answer was all three.   
            Don’t we adults do the same?  Don’t we try to hide under the “I don’t know,” answer too?  I know I have many times.  I’m fine with admitting I did things I’m not ashamed of, things that I’m proud of achieving.  But when I know I sinned I have a harder time admitting it.  I’ll bring my sins to the Lord on my own a lot of the time but truth be told a lot of the times it’s not until some strong conviction from the Almighty that I’ll bring the other sins to Him.
            1John 1:9 says (NIV) “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  Sometimes pride gets in the way of us admitting that we sinned in the first place.  You could justify just about anything but justifications do not erase sins.  1 John 1:10 says (NIV) “If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”  Ouch!  Truth can hurt sometimes.  Here’s more truth, Romans 3:23-24 (NIV) says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely, by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” James 3:2 says, “We all stumble in many ways.  If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.”  And one more verse, 2 Samuel 22:31 “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless.  He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.”  
            My kids know they can take refuge with me.  This is why they did confess what happened with the opened cup of smoothie that fell in the refrigerator, which I had to clean.  Even though they didn’t confess the same day it happened they eventually did.  Same goes with me.  I don’t always confess everything the same day, sometimes I’m not even aware of my sin the very day I commit them but I do take them to the Lord.  I know I can take refuge in him because He is my shield.